OH Juli

We are rediculous. Really we are having duling laptops. And I'm sure there's not a single person interested in our business. But here we sit sharing. BTW, the unwritten message, is I love this thread because it's where I met new BBGFF....

As I said ealier, you can kiss my little saggy ass. I didn't even have my period when you were born. I'm not playing... BTW, Stacy met my entire family today and she was really sweet until she smeared oreos and deviled eggs on her mouth/face and pretended not to know. We nearly got into a food fight, but I couldn't breath for laughing so hard. The children were better behaved than us.

Happy Christmas y'all. I just want to say Stacy (BG) and I went bowling and some man asked me if I was taking my daughter (Stacy) and my grandkids out bowling. I'm only 40!!! I offered to shoot him! Stacy says he was drunk.

Your waist looks smaller as does your chest, from what I can tell of the current picture, it's just showing a little... While you're at it take pictures of your hands, you'll be surprised how they change.

Be kind to yourself. Think about this as a learning opportunity, not as a win or loss kind of situation. If you eat a bit of something, appreciate it for what it is. Taste it and savor it. Don't eat gunk because it is there. When you do eat something embrace that it is fantastic and good. Count your bessings with things like: I can eat just some and be satisfied. I can eat some sugar and not dump. I can walk away from piles of food unlike before. I am the one in control and if I choose to eat that goodie I'm going to enjoy it. Add your own blessings...

Okay, deep breath. In out. Good. Now repeat after me. "Kiss my giant* ass. My mind is made up and this is no longer a topic of conversation. You may talk to me about it when I and ONLY when I bring up the subject. Understand?" Repeat as needed. *Please excuse the "giant", it's used as an attention getter. It speaks to the fact you are indeed overweight and people can not dismiss the fact if you are up front about it. I don't mean to offend you.

Aubrie, To my dad, food is the meaning of love. He too grew up poor and hungry. Food in the house and a roof over my head was his way of telling me I was loved. I wanted to be loved a lot apparently because I ate and ate. :thumbup: However, we are grown and we know that different people show love in different ways. You don't need to eat the food to share in the love. Bless your daddy's heart. And about the quote, my mother had a similar one, "Live hard, die young and leave a beautiful corps." Ick. She lived hard, but didn't die young, she's still around and the corps isn't going to be beautiful. I'd rather live will, die old and leave happy memories for the people who loved me. Happy Holidays! Peace.

Thanks gals! The surgery does change your life. It's a wonderful thing!

Lori Flirting is amazingly hard. The best advice I can give you is to not care. Don't care about being sucessful, don't care if you fall over yourself, just don't worry about the end point. You know just think about the moment as it is happening. Smile, look people in the eye, hold doors for people. Talk about the weather in passing as you enter the grocery store with the workers. Talk to old men and even make chit chat with strangers, women too. Just to get comfortable looking at people and having people look at you. Before you know it you'll be casually chatting with someone and he'll be your Mr. Right. Some psych stuff is always a good thing. Food/body/self identity stuff should be pretty easy to find someone who specializes in it.

TX, I've been lax on assigning intials. We've slowed way down on posting and it just didn't seem necessary. I was wondering about your strength traing program. Didn't you have some books you liked? I've been trying to work on mine but I get side tracked with school so it never seems to increase. I workout, want to die then get distracted and it's a week again (or more) before I hit the same muscles. I'm also doing more spinning than I used to, really trying to get there once a week. It's so good to see you.

Yeah, I was told that my surgery would only help me lose 60-ish pounds. I told them I'd be the exception. I lost 60 before I got a fill. You can or do anything you set your mind to. I've lost 130 since being banded. I've got more to lose but I will absolutely see my goal. It's not a question of if mearly a question of when. You can be cute and ask what will you get when you blow his expectations out of the Water or you can say, gimme a letter and shut the hell up. Either way don't let anyone define you.

The most help is exercising. People don't want to hear that but it's the truth. Always set stretch goals that are more than you can do today and work toward them. The biggest benefit is that I feel regular. Like I don't have to justify being who I am. I just am. I don't know how that comes across, but I hope it makes sense. And for plastic surgery, I'm hoping for it to happen this spring, there's a lot of skin on me as there was once a whole other person nearly the same weight as I am now living under this skin with me. There's quite a bit of it. You'll be surprised at all the stuff you'll be able to do. Not just with the weight but with your determination. You've got so much a head of you. And so much of it is positive. Watch out, it'll be be quite a ride, but an awesome one.

Let me say, I'm sorry for your loss. Look at you finding strength at a time when it would be easy not to. You will do very well with the surgery, etc and everything that come with it. You seem like a very together, strong woman. Your friend is lucky to have met you too. Keep us posted on your progress!

I think it actually proves the point that you need the support of the band for weight loss/control. And the fact that you can show you had a new medication during the time and it impacted your weight should be helpful. Don't fret. Not like you're not going to try to get approval right? Just put your stuff through and see what happens. You'll be fine and banded before you know it.

Janine, Bless your heart. Thanks. As for telling your story, girl you have quite a story to tell and your doctor is smart and good for wanting people to be warned. Information is power. Also rock on getting back into your clothing. Glad your not running around northing Michigan nakkit. That might be a little chilly at this point. Keep rocking the weight loss/inches down! J

Do it before surgery. Really it was 4 months when I lost most of mine but if you're going to do it, your hair will be its healthiest before your surgery. Just the shock of your surgery can affect the quality of your hair. Won't you look all transformed!? It's a lovely gift, btw. Some little girl (and usually it's teen girls who what long hair) will be happy for your gift.

I'm rubbing my eyes... Is it true, could it actually be? Hi HONEY! I'm so glad you're here! You're looking great in the avatar too!

Tab I love your energy! Great going on the weight loss and working out this morning! You're rocking!

Travelin Might I suggest you only focus on one area of your life you want to change at a time. Like your weight, or finding a mate or whatever it is that you want to change. The reality of it is as you move through your changes in your weight the other areas will fall into place. Or if you move through the changes it takes to get a mate (healthily, not stalking) the other stuff will come together. And time is what you need right now. You know there's this thing, if you can do it, of letting go of having to know what the future will hold for you that makes living in the present pretty awesome. hippi- You might want to find the Florida posters, they have people listed by state, who have used your surgeon. Good luck with that. Getting banded is the best thing I've ever done.

Ditto to the above. Sounds like your doctor has a pretty strict idea on alcohol. I don't drink much, but I do drink about 2 times per month.

Well the reason you didn't realize, if I may conjecture, is because I've just changed my ticker. Before I had my lapband process weight as my starting weight. But now I'm consider plastic surgery, for all kinds of reasons, but it had me digging out old photos and talking to surgeons about the amount of skin on my body. Well, I found the red shirt photo and at that time I was 350 pounds, (2000). I've recently changed my ticker to reflect my all time high wieght. And yeah, because the difference is substancial between here and there, there is a huge amount of skin to be removed. Mind you one doctor said 30 pounds and the other said a "conservitively 12 pounds" with a wink. I'm fretting a little because my weight is still pretty high but I'll be switching jobs this summer. Insurance will cover some of it, I have the time to take at my current job and I don't want to show up at the new place asking for a month off to recover from surgery. So unfortunately I'm doing this a bit sooner than is probably optimal.

Jachut, I don't mean to be amused on your behalf, because getting an "effing bitc_" at no time is funny. I'm amused because I relate. I'm not bikini trying on skinny, but in heels and my winter coat I look reasonable, and as I was sprinting through the grocery recently I passes inpatiently by a heavy mom. And I got an, "as if" attitude. Like how dare I have my hair down, make up on and walk through the grocery heeled boots (actually walk out the door like I care about my appearance). I nearly turned around and gave her a, "no you didn't" but I just smirked and hurried on my way. People project their crap on to others doesn't matter if your skinny or fat. All you can do is decide to take on their crap or not. I for one, don't take other people's. Peace,

Seebs, Susan, you out there? I should find an email...do you still have your pre WLS clothing? My friend is interested in them, if you've not already sold or donated them, will you bring them to Polaris on Saturday??? Thanks. I'll try to find you otherwise as well. Sorry to be public on here.